There is no doubt Appleton’s 10 months at Croud Meadow coincided with a turbulent period on and off the field.
Ainsworth’s sudden exit to Kent after four months in charge left Town reeling, 14 points from safety in League One with only nine games left, and Appleton with a near-impossible job to keep them up.
After a summer rebuilding the squad for life in League Two, director of football Micky Moore left three games into the season and has not been replaced, with the club now moving on without anyone in that role.
Added to that shift in direction, the ongoing search for new owners drags on following the collapse of two takeover deals in six months.
Owner and chairman Roland Wycherley, celebrating 30 years at the helm in 2026, is still hopeful the club can be sold, but, for now, the more pressing search is for a fifth head coach in two and a half years.
